October 2026. Island Wines, Leona De Pasquale.

 

This month we had another presentation from Leona De Pasquale, who actually hails from Taiwan, no matter what the name suggests.

This was an intriguing cooks tour of “Island Wines”, although it’s debatable if Japan classifies as an “Island” as such. Island wines are different because of the climatic influence from the sea, and the range of different grapes you get – many of them rare, often left behind by history, and some phylloxera free

So, Japan, Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, Cyprus and Gran Canaria with a key split being between Volcanic and non volcanic.

Notably these are all hot climate and predictably the wines are often grown at altitude, up to 1000m

White

Chateau Mercian Yamanashi Koshu sur lie 2023, Japan 11.0%

Tornatore Etna Bianco 2025, Sicily Carricante 12.5%

Douloufakis Winery, Tachtas 2024, Crete. 12.3%

Zambartas Xynisteri 2025, Cyprus 13.0%

Red

Bodegas Todos Listán Negro 2024, Gran Canaria. 12.5%

Douloufakis Winery, Dafnios Red 2022, Crete. Liatiko. 13.1%

Zambartas Maratheftiko 2023, Cyprus 15%

Mesa Carignan “Buio” 2024, Sardinia. Carignan  13.5%

 

These were all interesting and drinkable wines, and for me the best white was the Xynisteri from Cyprus, and the best red the Carignan from Sardinia.

 

The wines are available in the UK – the Greek ones from Maltby & Greek, others from Wine Direct, Woodwinters, Wanderlust Wines.  None are cheap, at around the 20-23 quid mark.

September 2026. Pippa Hayward, Wines of Catalonia

 

Once again we had Pippa Hayward presenting, this time WInes of Catalonia, Spain. All wines easily available from The Wine Society (TWS) or Lea and Sandemans, a small chain in SW London. A good range of price points from the affordable to the high end, special occasion wines. Catalonia, and Spanish wine in general is moving back towards more traditional, historic native varieties. The reds also demonstrated the reality of changing wine strength with 2 at 15% ! This is a combination of climate change and better growing and vinification.

For me, there were 3 standouts – The sparkling Corpinnat Gran Reserva, The Costers del sagre and the 3 Fincas. All excellent VFM, in fact I have just bought a half case of the 3 fincas. The 3 Priorats at the end were all superb, only you can decide to afford them or not

The one wine I was not so keen on was the Autocon Blanc, a very powerful white, but it might be exactly your thing..

One fizz, 3 whites, 4 reds.

Corpinnat Juvé & Camps Gran Reserva 2022. Xarel-lo. 12.0%. £13.95, TWS

Écologico Bodegaverde de San Valero 2024. Macabeo. 11.5%. £11.95 Lea & Sandemans (SW London)

Costers del Segre : Tomas Cuisine Auzells Blanco 2025. blend including Macabeo, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Albariño, and Riesling. 13%. £13.95 TWS

Acustic Celler Autocton Blanc, Montsant 2024. Garnacha blanca, Macabeo,Xarel·lo, Garnacha Roja. 13.5%. £19.95. Lea & Sandemans

Perelada 3 Fincas, Empordá 2021 blend (Cabernet Sauvignon +). 13.5%. £11.95 TWS

Giné Giné.  Buil y Gine, Priorat 2021. Garnacha and Cariñena. 15.0%. £23.50 TWS/Waitrose

Acustic Celler Vinyes Velles Nobles Montsant 2021. Garnacha and Cariñena. 15.0% £20.50. Lea & Sandemans

Scala Dei Priorat 2022. Garnacha + others. 14.0%. £26.00 Waitrose

August 2026, Poland its neighbours by Gosia and Jasia

 

This months meeting was an In house tasting by Gosia and Jasia, both of Polish backgrounds. It was prompted by an Idea by Gosia who had been to a tasting of Polish Wine at one of the Polish centres in London last year, and been impressed. However, it is still early days and the number of Polish wines you can buy in the UK is pretty limited. So they decided to expand the tasting to Poland and its neighbours. Ukraine and Slovakia have a long history of wine production, Czechia a little less so but with a strong German influence does make some wine. Poland does not have a great history of Grape wine, Gosia explaining that in the 1980s her experience of wine in Poland was only of fruit wine – basically apple based and other fruits, but definitely not grapes.

And of course for all 4 countries the dead hand of the Soviet era seriously damaged their wine industries.  

The wines were, 4 from Poland, 2 from Czechia, 1 Slovak, 1 Ukrainian.

White

Riesling 2023 Adoria (Central wines) – Poland 12%, £21.40

Souvi Grigio Sienkiewicz, Souvignier Gris (Gdansk Airport)  - Poland 12.5%, £18

Gewurztraminer 2024 Kamil Barczentewicz Gewurztraminer (Wine Society) - Poland 14%, £18.50

Grüner Veltliner - Winery Thaya 2024.(Wine Society) – Czechia. 12%, £11.95

Red

Dobre Modre 2023 Kamil Barczentewicz Dobre Modre (Blaufränkisch) (Wine Society) - Poland, 12%, £20

Csernus Frankovka Modra selection. Frankovka Modra (Blaufränkisch) (Novel wines).- Slovakia. 13%, £18

Shabo Reserve Merlot 2022. (Novel wines) – Ukraine. 13%, £16.99

Chateau Grand Bari, Royal Cuvee 2021, Tokaj. Yellow Muscat, Hárslevelű,Furmint (The Naughty Grape) – Slovakia. 12%, £19.95

To be honest, most of the wines were OK, but nothing special particularly in view of the prices. Doubtless they will get better.